Aston Martin V8 Vantage Le Mans

Anglicky (český popis chybí)

V8 Vantage Le Mans

(1999 - 2000)

In 1959, Aston Martin won the Le Mans 24 hour race; indeed, so far the marques only outright victory in the French classic. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of this great victory, the company produced the ultimate V8 Vantage. Unveiled at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, and available with both standard 550 bhp and V600 600 bhp versions of the twin supercharged V8, it is the swan song of the Marek engine and the Virage chassis - the last of the line.

At the AMOC 40th anniversary meeting at Le Mans, June 1999, the first V8 Vantage Le Mans was displayed alongside the winning DBR1 from the 1959 race. The remaining 39 cars were built between December 1999 and October 2000.

Limited to only 40 examples, the V8 Vantage Le Mans came with a price tag approaching a quarter of a million pounds. The car shown at the top of the page was still on sale in March 2001 at Aston Martin Sales of Mayfair. For a picture gallery of all the examples of the Le Mans, try V8 Vantage.com.

THE ULTIMATE VANTAGE LE MANS

In 1999 Aston Martin launched the ultimate Vantage, named the Vantage Le Mans, in celebration of the company's victory at Le Mans in 1959. Only 40 cars were built with a massive 600 bhp and 600 lb-ft of torque, the highest output of any Aston Martin and, indeed, any production car at the time.

Visible modifications included a restyled bonnet with twin air intakes, a distinctive blanked off radiator grille, larger side vents and magnesium alloy wheels. The brakes were up rated to 6 piston AP Racing discs and calipers. The interior wood was replaced with brushed metal panels and larger, racing style rev counter.